Seen this one?

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/pri … FA37679DCA


Heaps less kays

Remember, kms aren't everything. My GenIII is sitting on ~225,000kms and she still runs like a dream. On the other hand you might have a car that's only done 80,000kms and has been thrashed or just simply not looked after (as far as checking/changing fluids etc).

The only real relevance of kms is re-sale

That black one is only the 2.0... a bit gutless

If the car has been looked after then kms won't matter as much. Just sold an Outback with 195k kms on it that drove like it had 100k kms.

However, I drive so many kms that my criteria for a new car is under 100k kms so that I can finally keep a car for longer than 18 months without needing to sell it before it gets to 200k

Head gaskets won't be an issue unless maintenance has been neglected...

The first one I linked is 150kms, 2.5L, manual for $11,500. How could you go past that! Crazy cheap (assuming nothing is wrong with it)

Sevo wrote:

it's already had a new engine in it which tells me that a)its had shit service history and/or b) its been driven like an f1 car.

Not necessarily, what you wil find with these cars is that when their head gasket starts leaking it just seeps a bit of oil and coolant from the bottom of the engine which is usually where their head gasket is compromised first. Then what happens is that it gets worst very quickly in a space of a couple of weeks/months and you the owner might be driving on the freeway and lose too much coolant and oil and suddenly the engine overheats and because not everyone constatnly keeps an eye on the temp needle every second (and its very loud when driving on the freeway @ 120khr)then they drive on an overheated engine which then the Head gasket gives way completely and the engine then has oil and water mixed and major damage is done. There is a difference between the ones that have had their head gaskets changed when first signs are visible and the ones that keep driving on it till the engine gives way. And the difference is a new engine
I've seen Liberties with 70ks on the clock develop these leaks and the owner was a soccer mum and never put her foot down and the car meticulously maintained by Subaru and still the car developed HG problems and I've also seen these cars with 110ks on the clock and the owner usually drove it like he stole it and still no HG leak. Nevertheless most of them DO get it sooner or later but not 100% of the time. If you have had your car since brand new and it now has 200ks and its never happened to you then you must have your very good luck working against the forces of nature because the way theese engines are built you're bound to have the HG issue.

And what others have mentioned about low/high Ks is true to a point. The condition of a car is based on 3 factors. Age, Kms and maintenance. Not just maintenance. But the thing is that when you buy a car with low k's its not just the engine you're buying, its all of the car. Lower ks means less wear and tear all around. Like all the bushings/suspension/moving electrical parts/chasis rigidity etc. Its things that you cannot or are not usually maintained like wheel bearings, CV joints, AC compressor and the list goes on. Those are not things people usually maintain until something actually goes wrong then they get to it... Not every average joe mechanic looks for the condition of the bushings when they do a service, they just do the minimal like change oil and oil filter and sometimes rotate the tyres. Most of the time they don't even do the upper engine cleaner and use the fuel additive as required by the log book and yet they still stamp it.

Having said that there are cars with high ks like Gozza that might not have apparent problems. It all depends basic maintenance and a bit of luck as to how your car will run. I will tell you this tho and take my word for it, 99% of all cars for sale are being sold because there's usually things wrong with it. If it was beautiful and perfect and never cost it's owner extra money besides maintenance then the owner wouldve kept it. There are of course exeptions and those with genuine reasons but only Sherlock Holmes can probably find out if they're true or not...

Sevo wrote:

milo101 I'm gonna get my brothers mate to have a look for all that he's head mechanic at a ford dealership or ill just stop being tight and get a full inspection nrma motorswerve check. Yea definitely not but they are in my price range and i love the look of the gen4.

Make sure you ask them to pay close attantion to possible head gasket leaks down the bottom of the engine. Gurgling sounds when accelerating is usually a symptom as exhaust gases escape from the chamber into the cooling system...
Hope that helps.